The Key to Curing Disease Could Lie in Iceland’s Genes

March 17, 2017

(CNN) – The freezer sits behind a heavy door in the basement of an unassuming building on the campus of the University of Iceland. It feels much colder than it looks; inside, the temperature is minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit, but the air is so dry, you can’t see your breath. Stored in that freezer are vials and vials of blood, as far as the eye can see, 500,000 samples from 150,000 people. Almost half of Iceland’s population is represented in that freezer, and their blood could help scientists crack codes for a range of issues, from treating disease to understanding human intelligence. The key lies in their DNA.